Former Court of Appeal president, Justice Isa Ayo Salami, yesterday said the Nigerian judiciary is “bedevilled” with a level of which he wouldn’t have tolerated during his tenure.

He spoke exclusively to Daily Trust in Ilorin at the funeral of retired Justice Saidu Kawu who died  Wednesday.  It would be recalled that Salami was suspended by the National Judicial Council (NJC) on August 18 last year after an emergency session by the council under Justice Aloysius Katsina Alu as Chief Justice of the Federation.

However, a 29-member judicial committee raised by former CJN Justice Dahiru Musdapher on October 14, last year recommended Justice Salami’s reinstatement which was not implemented till his retirement in October. Speaking on the deceased Supreme Court judge who was appointed into the apex court on August 12, 1984 and retired in 1993, Salami noted that the system currently reeks of corruption which was not the case during his tenure.

He charged the present generation of judges to have courage, sincerity and love of country and do their work dispassionately without fear or favour. Salami described late Justice Kawu as a very honest, hard-working, and good disciplinarian.